Join The World’s Largest Pet Walk And Get Moving With Your Pup

Grab your dog, cat, bunny or gerbil — or whichever animal you consider to be your furry BFF — because the World’s Largest Pet Walk is happening across the country (and possibly all over the world) on Saturday, September 29. The goal of the event is to shed light on the health benefits of staying active with your beloved pet.

The walk is organized by Pet Partners, an organization that’s responsible for registering and providing therapy animals for animal-assisted interventions in hospitals, senior care facilities, schools and more. You don’t have to donate any money to participate in the event — Pet Partners just wants you to let them know that you’re walking by filling out their online pledge. They also ask that all participants share pictures on social media on the day of the walk to raise awareness of the event and of its significance.

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You can participate from wherever you are — all you need to do is grab your chosen animal(s) and maybe a couple of human friends and head outside to rack up some miles. Anything from a casual stroll around the block to an intense wilderness hike will do. If you and your animal are looking to make some new friends in your area, or if you’re an animal lover without an animal who wants to participate, you can team up with a local Pet Partners therapy animal group in your area.

Pet owners reap many health benefits from owning a furry friend, including an increased motivation to exercise. With this walk, Pet Partners President and CEO Annie Peters wants to encourage people of all walks of life to get up off the couch and get moving.

“For those who have pets, that’s great and they’re able to benefit from walking regularly with them. For those who do not, walking with a therapy animal can be a great source of stress relief and stimulus to lead a healthier lifestyle,” she told Swirled.

We could all benefit from logging some extra steps, so why not do it in the company of four-legged cuties of all shapes and sizes? September 29 is shaping up to be a glorious day for animal lovers everywhere. See you on the streets!